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South Africa: Church Leader Appalled at Rise in Child Exploitation

By Viola Hughes, news correspondent, General Conference Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department

ommenting on a recent preliminary report released by the United Nations on the rise of child exploitation in South Africa, Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations liaison director for the Adventist Church, called on Adventist leaders and other non-governmental organizations to reach out to the African community in their fight against HIV/AIDS and the exploitation of young children. "The Adventist Church has always advocated for the rights of the child to education and health. We need to pull our resources together now more than ever so that each child will be protected and given the opportunity for a better life," Gallagher said.

United Nations human rights expert, Juan Miguel Petit, completed a visit to South Africa last month to meet with government and the Department of Social Development and Department of Healthofficials. In a preliminary report, Petit noted that young children are being targeted as sexual partners in order to reduce the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS. He also reported that some adults believe the myth that sex with a virgin would cure them of the disease.

For this reason, the Adventist church has established a worldwide AIDS task force, with a special committee under the direction of General Conference health director Allan Handysides. Handysides reported that in an effort to help combat the rise of HIV/AIDS, one of the initiatives of the Adventist church was a downlink program launched in August to educate children in Adventist schools in South Africa. This past May the church also appointed Dr. Oscar Giordano to head up a new Office of HIV/AIDS ministry, to be located in Johannesburg, South Africa. The office will be staffed in January 2003. Dr. Giordano has served as a medical missionary for the past 11 years in Rwanda, Burundi, Zaire, and Madagascar.

Church administrators in Eastern Africa have also created an HIV/AIDS team to prepare resources for pastors and other church leaders. The team will be made up of staff from the church's health, family, youth, children, and women's ministries departments.

According to this year's United Nations AIDS report, about 3.5 million Africans were infected last year alone, while the number of adults and children living with the disease in sub-Saharan Africa rose to 28.5 million. A total of 2.2 million Africans have died from the AIDS disease.

The Special Rapporteur's full report will be presented to the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva next Spring.

Eastern European Leaders Discuss Religious Freedom
More than 30 political and academic leaders from several Eastern European countries met October 10 at the Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. The group met under the auspices of the International Religious Liberty Association (IRLA), to talk informally about issues impacting religious freedom in this region of Europe.

"The reception and dinner provided an excellent opportunity to share information and to become acquainted with both personnel and issues of vital importance," said Dr. John Graz, IRLA secretary general and director of the church's department of public affairs and religious liberty.

Jonathan Gallagher, United Nations liaison director for the Adventist Church, commented on the value of talking directly to representatives from Turkey, Slovenia, and Kazakhstan, among others.

"Here we have unprecedented access to government and other representatives who can give us a fuller picture of what is happening in such areas," he added. "Such interviews provide a far greater understanding of the complexities of religious freedom and the continuing importance of stressing this vital human right."

Adventists are among those who are concerned over the recent Belarusian law, which, if signed by the president, will impose restrictions on many religious minorities. According to a professor of the Belarusian Center for Constitutionalism and Comparative Legal Studies, religious communities must have at least 20 members in order to be legally registered. The process of printing religious materials is another complicated process, as the new law will require each religious community to be a member of a religious association before permission for printing or bringing in missionaries will be granted.

The October 10 meeting was just one stop on the group's tour of the United States. The visit is part of the Ninth Annual International Law and Religion Symposium conducted by Brigham Young University's International Center for Law and Religion Studies. – Adventist News Network

Newbold Inaugurates New Principal
On October 20, Newbold College, Binfield, England, celebrated the official inauguration of its new principal, Dr. David Penner.

"His particular qualities are matched to the needs of the College. There is a Newbold tapestry woven over time, and weaving him in at this time is just what we need to strengthen the fabric," said Orville Woolford, education secretary for the Trans-European Division.

Inaugural guests and speakers included Councillor Shelagh Pile, the Deputy Mayor of Bracknell, Forest Borough Council; Don McFarlane, president of the South England Conference; Orville Woolford; Dr. Michael Pearson, Newbold vice principal; Dr. John Baildam, Newbold director of academic affairs; and Mrs. Lidija Godina, chair of the Newbold staff forum and behavioural sciences lecturer. Of the celebration, Pile commented, "It was absolutely moving. It's the first time I've been to Newbold, and I look forward to my next visit."

In his address, Penner spoke on the goals of education-acceptance and celebration. "Education should help us to learn and accept that life is a constant unveiling, that we do not have everything in place, that we do not know everything and that we will always be learners... if it is worth the name, it broadens our outlook rather than narrows our focus."

Penner, an alumnus of Newbold, graduated in 1972 with a bachelor's degree in history. After serving 27 years as both teacher and administrator throughout the United States, he has returned to Newbold, with the support of his family. "I am delighted to be at Newbold College," he said.

The new principal has already inspired trust in students, staff and others. "It is very satisfying to have someone in place who is so hard to find. Good academic leadership is rare," said Bill Olson, treasurer of the Trans-European Division. Stian Keyn, president of the Newbold student association, concluded, "He's a passionate person, passionate principal, passionate helper."

New Hymnal Released for the Blind
A Seventh-day Adventist publishing company for the blind is soon to release a special edition of the Adventist hymnal. Ray McAllister, a first-year Ph.D. student at Andrews University Theological Seminary, who is himself blind, developed the edition for Christian Record Services using his laptop computer.

McAllister uses text on a floppy disk that is compatible with his laptop made especially for the blind. Users listen to the words of songs line by line using earphones connected to their computer.

"I'm now able to follow along in church during song service, and I haven't always been able to do that," says McAllister. "Now blind people can sing hymns that are more obscure, that aren't in the top 20."

Ray says he can find any hymn on this program in seven seconds, competitive with people who have sight. – Adventist News Network

News Notes

Mabel Richards, the wife of H.M.S. Richards, Sr., died Friday evening, October 25, shortly after going to sleep. She celebrated her 103rd birthday this past August 15.

Her husband, H.M.S. Richards, Sr., was founder of the Voice of Prophecy and pioneer in broadcasting. Voice of Prophecy, the Adventist Church's oldest continuously broadcast religious radio program, started in 1929. He died in 1985.

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